Signal



l 1,480,484 Jan. 8, 1924 A WERTZ S IGNAL Filed Dec. 9. 1922 Y 5%/ F-g 4.

zz if' Z gg@ f /9 Z9 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED SSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN' A. WERTZ, 0F CANTON, OHIO.

SIGNAL mamma-.sieg December e, 1922. sex-m no. 605,941.

ger signal at crossings and other dangerous I points on roads though it may be used as a ing ball of'fire, but various other colors or;

' uncolored glass may be used if preferred.

f fwith.v X

Referring to the accompanying drawings danger signal in other relations. In the Vuse of the device the' light from a headlight of an automobile or electric car or steam locomotive will be flashed back to the approaching vehicle or to another approaching at an angle to give warning of approaching danger. The lens which is-the principal feature of the invention may be used for other purposes where a brilliant reflected light is desirable. The principal object of my invention isto provide a signal with a reflector of small area which shall be capable' of showing a very brilliant light. The refiected light will preferably be red to indicate danger and may appear as a flicker- A further object of the invention is to provide a novel support for the lens and Vf0.l a sign plate used in combination therewhich are made 'a part hereof' and on which similar reference characters indicate similar Parts Figure 1 is a front view of my device,y Figure 2 a section on line 2 2 of Figure 1,

V Figure 3 a rear elevation of the device vshown in Figure 1, and l I Figure 4 a Section of a-modiied form. i

In the drawings referencecharacter 10 iiidicates apost on which my device is supported.l A cap 11 fits on top of the post and has a bulged portion `12. with a cored-out opening for a set screw 13. A nut l'lffo'rV the set screw is located within said bulged por` tion of the cap, a rectangular depression being provided to hold the nut. This saves the work of drilling and tapping' inthe 'cap and also renders Vthe cap less liable to break when thesc-rew .13v is being tightened.

The cap 11 hasan'upward extension 15 -withfa transverse opening at., its upper end to 'receive a. bolt 16. The cap also has adjacent the'extension l5 aaupward projection 17 providing a horizontal slot with rounded sides. vThis slot acts in conjunction with a trunnion 18onA the back 19 to form a hinge or elbow joint between the cap and back. The back has a slotted rearward extension 20 integral therewith, the bolt 16 passing through the "slot and' being provided with a. nut 21 for fastening the back in adjusted position relative to the extension 15.- The bolt serves also to prevent disen-` gagement of the trunnion 18 from the slot in the cap. A

At its rear side the back has a pair of curved integral ribs 22 (see Fig. 3) which extend upwardlybeyond the confines of the back to form supports for a sign-plate 23 carrying a legend' as 'shown in Figure 1 which may indicate danger or direction or may carry advertising matter if desired.

At its front side the back is adapted to re ceive a frame holding a reilector which as I here shown consists of a lens 24 of glass or other suitable material which may be plain but preferably is colored red and has its back silvered or otherwise treated to provide a mirror-likereflecting surface. The lens is divided intoa number of squares each of which is made up of a pair of rectangular 'sections25which lie in angularly related planes so -as to cast the beams of light reflected thereby in different directions. The rectangular faces -next to the ends of each square are inclined toward the 'Y same, or otherwise stated, vthe rectangular faces at the.' end of a line of division or a joint between two of the angularly related faces 25 constituting a. square are so located as to throw their light across the dark space which would otherwise be left opposite the joint between two of such angularly related faces. By this arrangement/I achievethe desirable result that there are no dark places left in the beam of lightprojected by the combined faces making up the lens. Not only is this true but therectangular face or faces which -throw theirlight into the ga or hiatus, between two angularly'rela't faces and so prevent the 'formation of 'a darkspace therebyare in every case larger than would be necessary to-ll the hiatus andtherefore the beams of light overlap in such a way thatthey afford to the oye of a person in an approaching `vehicle thea pearance of a very bright field of light witg;

a number of small-oseillating orrevolv-ing lights resembling pinwheels-beautiful but be removed without adapted to command the attention of even a careless driver. As contrasted with a plain reflector my reflector has about four times as much power and the .coloring addsl to the arresting effect of the danger indica tion. It will be understood that any two faces 25 would naturallyleave a relatively dark line between the faces and therefore a dark space of increasing width between the beams projected thereby in the-absence of some such expedient as that described,my device providing for each such line either one r two reflecting faces to light up the space which would otherwise be relatively dark.

In the preferred form of my invention the lens rests against inturned front flanges 26 of a cast or stamped metal frame having an upper part 27, a lower part 28 and interposed sides 29 with ears 30 at the back joinlng parts 27 and 28, and lower ears 31. A backing 32 of wood or the like is provided `to protect the coating on the rear surface of the mirror-like reflector, this backingbeing held between back 19 and lens 24. The bottom web 28is short enough so that after the lens and backing have been placed in the frame it can beslid into place on the back' with its ears 30 and 3l behind the back and the upper web 27 will pinge on the upper edge of back V19 and prevent access of water to the back'of the' lens. Such engagement may also be relied on for positioning the frame if desired."

In a modified form of my invention a re flector 33 of sheet metal properly formed and polished to produce effects similar to those of lens 24 may be mounted in a similar manner in a frame provided with a backing 32 'to protect the metal from the weather. For somepurposes as to give a. signal at night along a road used by automobiles or along a railroad track I may provide a cover 34.- of red or other colored glass or the coloring may be applied tothe reflector itself, while for otherpurposes the cover may be of plain glass or may in some instances be omitted altogether.

The frame having been supplied' either with the lens or the metallic reflector or an equivalent device and with a cover where this is necessary or preferred, it is now placed in position on the back by sliding it down with 'the side pieces 29 in the position of Figure 3 until it strikes the ledge 35 (Fig. 2), after which the sign plate 23 is fastened 1n place' by screws 36. This plate actsas a lock for the frame since the frame cannot first removing the sign plate. At the same time if the lens is broken the frame can belemoved for replacement of the lens without moving or destro ing the remainder ofthe device. and wit out special tools or undue expenditure of time.

Various other modicatons of my device act as a stop to im-,.

will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but1only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention,`what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A signal comprising a plurality of rectangular reflecting surfaces arranged in pairs to cast sets of diverging beams, said pairs of` surfaces being so arranged that the gap between each set of diverging beams is filled by beams from one or more. adjacent reflecting surfaces, substantially as set forth.

2. In a signalling device, a unitary reflector comprising a plurality of rectangular planes arranged in pairs to cast diverging rays of light, said rectangular planes being'` rays from one or more adjacent reflecting surfaces, substantially as set forth.

3. In a signallingv device, a unitary reflector having rectangular reflecting'v surfaces arranged in pairs to castsets of diverging rays of light, the lrectangular surfaces forming each pair having their sides parallel and rearwardly inclined each to each, each of said pairs of reflecting surfaces having their sides at right angles to those of each adjoining pair whereby the gap between each set of diverging rays is filled by rays from one or more adjacent reflecting surfaces, substantially as set forth.

4. -A warning` signal for vehicles comprising a reflecting plate of square outline subdivided by parallel lines running across the plate into a plurality of squares of equal size each square being again divided into two equal rectangles by a line -parallel to one. of its sides such lines being perpendicular to the similar dividing lines in the four ads` jacent squares, the two rectangular elements of each square each having a single plane reflecting surface the two being so inclined toleach other that two diverging beams of light will be reflected from each square, substantially as set-forth. j

5. In a signalling device, a unitary re.-- flector having rectangular reflecting surfaces arranged in pairs .to cast sets of diverging rays of light, the rectangular surfaces forming each pair havin their sides parallel and rearward y inclined` each to each, each of said pairs of reflecting surfaces having their sides at right angles to those of each adjoining pair whereby the a between each setof dlvergin rays is fil e by rays from one or more a jacent reflecting surfaces, a frame 1for said reflector,

said frame, substantially as set forth.

and a support for l 6. In a signalling device, a unitary relector having rectangular reflecting surfaces arranged in pairs to cast sets of diverging rays of light, the rectangular surfaces forming each pair having their sides parallel and rearwardly inclined each to each, each of said pairs of reflecting surfaces having their sides at right angles to those of each adjoining air whereby the gap between each set of di'verging rays is filled by rays from one or more adjacent reflecting surfaces, a frame for said reflector pivotally mounted on a supporting member, and means for adjusting the angle of said re,- flector, substantially as set forth.

7. In a. signalling device, a unitary reflector having rectangular reflecting surfaces arranged in pairs to cast sets of diverging rays of light. the rect-angular surfaces forming each pair having their sides parallel and rearwardly inclined each to each7 each of said pairs of reflecting surfaces having their Vsides at right angles to those of each adjoining pair whereby the gap between each set of diverging rays is filled by rays from one or more adjacent reflecting surfaces, a frame for said reflector having a trunnion provided adjacent one edge, a supporting member having a socket for thereception of said trunnion, said supportmg member having an upstanding rear arm, andan element on said frame adapted for engagement with said upst-anding rear arm for adjustably supporting said reflector, substantially as set forth.

8. In a signalling device, a unitary reflector having rectangular reflecting surfaces arranged in pairs to cast sets of verging rays of light, the rectangular surfaces forming each pair having their sides parallel and rearwardly inclined each to each, each of said pairs of reflecting surfaces having their sides at right angles to those of each adjoining pair ivhereby the gap between each set of diverging rays is filled by rays from one or more adjacent reflecting surfaces, a frame for said reflector, supporting means for said frame comprising means adapted to alloiv tilting and rotation of said reflector, whereby the reflector may be utilized to reflect light from any given position, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and Seal at Canton. Ohio this 23rd day of November, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-two.

JoHN A. WERTZ. [a 5.] lVitnesses G. E. ll'vrNrERs, C. C. CURTIS. 

